Chapter 9: The Truth About Lily's Father
My father's face had gone completely white.
Daniel stood outside the gate, holding the envelope.
The detective immediately contacted the officers stationed nearby.
“Do not let him enter the property,” he ordered.
Daniel smiled at the camera.
Then he lifted the envelope.
“Richard, I have the DNA results.””
My father looked at me.
I could barely breathe.
“DNA results for whom?””
Daniel's voice came through the intercom.
“For Lily.””
Detective Harris stepped closer.
“Mr. Brooks, this is Detective Harris. Put the envelope on the ground and step away from the gate.””
Daniel laughed.
“Still pretending you control everything, Detective?””
“Put the envelope down.””
“I'll give it to Nia.””
I moved toward the monitor.
“Daniel, what are you talking about?””
He looked directly into the camera.
“You deserve to know the truth.””
“Then tell me.””
He lowered his voice.
“Marcus isn't Lily's father.””
My knees weakened.
I grabbed the edge of the desk.
“That isn't true.””
Daniel shook his head.
“Ask your mother.””
My father immediately reached for his phone.
But before he could call her, Detective Harris stopped him.
“Don't contact anyone. We need to establish whether this is another attempt to manipulate the situation.””
Daniel raised the envelope again.
“Do you want proof?””
He opened it.
A laboratory report was visible.
I couldn't read the details from the camera.
But I could see Lily's name.
My heart pounded.
“Daniel, why are you doing this?””
His expression changed.
“Because Marcus promised me something.””
“What?””
“Your father's company.””
I stared at him.
He continued.
“Marcus said if Vanessa got control of the trust, he would make me a partner in the new investment company. He said I'd receive enough money to disappear.””
My father stepped toward the intercom.
“You stole from me!””
Daniel laughed.
“You never paid me what I was worth.””
“You were paid more than any security manager in this state!””
“And I spent nine years watching your family treat me like furniture.””
I looked at the screen.
“Did you know Vanessa pushed Lily?””
Daniel didn't answer.
“Did you know?””
He lowered his eyes.
“I knew she planned to cause a distraction.””
A cold feeling spread through my chest.
“What kind of distraction?””
“She said you would lose control. That Marcus would take Lily away from you.””
“And you agreed?””
Daniel looked toward the driveway.
“I didn't think she'd push her into the water.””
I wanted to scream.
“You watched her do it!””
He said nothing.
Then Detective Harris gave the officers a signal.
Two patrol vehicles pulled up outside the gate.
Daniel looked toward them.
His smile disappeared.
He dropped the envelope.
And ran.
The officers chased him across the driveway.
He made it to his car before they caught him.
Within minutes, he was handcuffed.
The envelope was recovered.
Detective Harris brought it inside.
He examined the documents.
Then he looked at me.
“We need to discuss something.””
I sat down.
“Tell me.””
He placed the report on the desk.
It was a paternity test.
The alleged father was Marcus Bennett.
The child was Lily Bennett.
The result stated that Marcus was excluded as the biological father.
I stared at the paper.
“No.””
My father put a hand on my shoulder.
“Nia.””
I shook my head.
“No. This is impossible.””
Detective Harris spoke carefully.
“The document is preliminary. We need to verify the laboratory and the chain of custody.””
I looked at the signature.
It belonged to a laboratory in Atlanta.
But something seemed wrong.
The report listed a sample date from three months earlier.
I had never agreed to a paternity test.
Neither had Marcus.
“Where did this come from?””
The detective examined the envelope.
“Daniel may have obtained it from a private source.””
I read the report again.
Then I noticed the laboratory reference number.
Something about it looked familiar.
I pulled out my phone and searched my emails.
Three months earlier, Marcus had sent me a message.
He'd said the pediatrician needed a routine blood test for Lily before an upcoming medical procedure.
I remembered taking her to the clinic.
I remembered the nurse collecting a small sample.
Marcus had insisted on handling the paperwork.
My stomach tightened.
“He could have used that sample.””
My father looked at me.
“What?””
“Marcus arranged Lily's blood test. He had access to the paperwork.””
Detective Harris nodded.
“We'll investigate.””
I looked at the result again.
“Does this mean Lily isn't his daughter?””
The detective remained cautious.
“It means this particular document claims that. We need independent testing before treating it as fact.””
I nodded.
But my mind had already begun racing.
If Marcus wasn't Lily's biological father, who was?
Daniel?
The thought made me feel sick.
He had been around my daughter for years.
He'd carried her on his shoulders.
He'd brought her birthday presents.
He'd helped her feed the ducks.
I remembered how comfortable Lily had always been around him.
Then I remembered the little purple gift box.
The photographs.
The note.
My father sat beside me.
“Whatever the truth is, Lily is your daughter. Nothing changes that.””
I nodded.
But the questions wouldn't stop.
Later that afternoon, Rebecca arrived.
She had reviewed the trust documents and wanted to speak with Detective Harris.
She entered carrying a thick folder.
“I've found something.””
My father stood.
“What now?””
Rebecca placed the folder on the desk.
“The original trust agreement contains a clause that neither Marcus nor Vanessa appears to have understood.””
“What clause?””
She opened to a marked page.
“Lily's inheritance is protected by an independent trustee. Even if Nia dies, the funds cannot be transferred to another family member without approval from the court and the independent trustee.””
I frowned.
“Then why were they trying to change the guardianship?””
“Because guardianship and financial control are different things. They may have believed that gaining guardianship would give them influence over the trust.””
My father shook his head.
“They were planning all this for nothing?””
Rebecca looked at him.
“Not necessarily. There are other assets involved. The estate properties, business shares, and private investment accounts were structured differently.””
She turned another page.
“And there's something else.””
She pointed toward a paragraph.
“Richard, your original estate plan names Lily as the primary beneficiary of your Savannah property. Vanessa is only entitled to a limited inheritance.””
My father nodded.
“That's correct.””
Rebecca continued.
“But someone submitted a new deed transferring the property into a company called Brookstone Holdings.””
My father stood abruptly.
“What?””
“The deed was recorded two months ago.””
“That's impossible.””
Rebecca placed a copy on the table.
The signature appeared to be his.
He stared at it.
Then his hands began trembling.
“I never signed this.””
Rebecca nodded.
“I believe you.””
I looked at the document.
The property had been transferred for one dollar.
One dollar.
My father had spent years maintaining that house.
It had been my grandfather's favorite place.
And someone had taken it.
Detective Harris immediately made a note.
“This gives us another financial transaction to investigate.””
My father sat down.
“I want every account frozen.””
Rebecca nodded.
“I've already contacted the bank's fraud department.””
Then she turned toward me.
“Nia, I also want to discuss the paternity report.””
I looked up.
“What about it?””
She examined the document.
“The laboratory listed here is legitimate, but the report format is outdated.””
Detective Harris frowned.
“What do you mean?””
Rebecca pointed to the reference number.
“This code belongs to a different type of test. It was used for relationship testing, not the standard legal paternity report described here.””
I looked at her.
“Could it be fake?””
“Possibly. Or it could have been altered.””
Detective Harris took the paper.
“We'll verify it.””
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
*Unknown:* Don't believe the DNA report. Daniel changed the results.
I looked up.
“Who sent this?””
I typed back.
*Me:* Who are you?
The reply came immediately.
*Unknown:* Someone who knows Marcus's real secret.
Another message followed.
*Unknown:* Lily is his daughter. But Vanessa's unborn baby is not.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
*Unknown:* Marcus knows exactly who the father is. He has known for months.
I looked toward Detective Harris.
“Someone is messaging me.””
He examined the screen.
“Can you ask them to identify themselves?””
I typed.
*Me:* Who is the father?
The response took nearly a minute.
Then a photograph appeared.
It showed Vanessa sitting in a hospital room.
Beside her stood a man wearing a dark suit.
His hand rested on her shoulder.
I recognized him.
He was my father's younger brother.
My uncle.
James Bennett.
The man who had moved to Florida fifteen years earlier and returned only for major family gatherings.
I looked at my father.
He took one glance at the photograph.
And his face collapsed.
“James?””
I nodded.
Then my phone rang.
The caller ID showed my uncle's name.
I answered.
His voice sounded strained.
“Nia, listen carefully. You need to stop the police from investigating Vanessa's pregnancy.””
I gripped the phone.
“Why?””
He was silent.
Then he whispered:
“Because if they discover the truth, they'll find out what happened to my first wife.””
I looked at my father.
“What happened to her?””
My uncle took a breath.
“She didn't die in an accident.””
The call ended.
And before I could react, Detective Harris's phone rang.
He listened for several seconds.
May you like
Then he looked directly at me.
“Mrs. Bennett, your uncle has just been reported missing.””
